DIY sump

[hunnybunn94]

im new to saltwater aquariums but i have an experenced friend helping me get mine set up. i have a 55 gallon tank and i wanted to make a sump out of my old 25 gallon tank. i saw some ideas but im not sure how to go about designing it. and how i get the water to move from the 55 gallon to the sump.

i liked this idea but idk how to do it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug6HMOtv7ds&feature=related

 

[redfishblewfish]

The design of your sump is decided by what you want to put into it. As an example, a skimmer….need to build a section that would fit the skimmer.

As far as transport of water between the display and the sump, you need an overflow box. They come as external overflows (not recommended) and internal overflows. I really like Glass-Holes overflows (www.glass-holes.com). The 700 gph kit would be good for a 55. The kit comes with everything, including the drill bit.

Now you need to get a pump that has a flow rating less than the rating of the overflow box (for the glass-holes, that is 700gph). As an example, A MAG 7 would work just fine. Put the pump in you sump (in the return section) and plumb it up to the DT. Water gets pump up to the display and then flows in the overflow and returns to the sump by gravity.

 

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

As said before, it all depends on what you want your sump to do.

If you simply want it to get equipment out of the display tank then it's very simple...

If you want it to be a primary filter for the display tank, then it becomes more complicated...

An external overflow is an excellent idea if you are unsure about which glass panels are tempered or not. Tempered glass cannot be drilled... External HOB overflows are always the safest in this regard.

As far as sump design, you need to lay out how much room you have available and plan accordingly.

For instance: it you want a "full service" sump, then you will want a wet/dry tower, a refugium, a skimmer section, and a return pump section...

Here is my sump to give you an idea of just one style of DIY sump/fuge setup.

 

[fsn77]

Seeing as you have a 55g tank, make sure it is not tempered glass if you decide to install an internal overflow (which means drilling your tank). The vast majority of 55g tanks I've seen are tempered and if you attempt to drill the tempered glass, the results will not be pretty.